Vayeira, Breishis 19:26. Why Salt?
I’ve used that idea in many speeches, sometimes to the annoyance of Bnei Torah who dislike quoting a goy and/or dislike the idea in general. I quote either Basho or Jaurès:
Matsuo Basho, a Japanese poet/philosopher.
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.
or
Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of old; seek what they sought.
Then, similar, from Jean Jaurès, a French socialist politician and a defender of Dreyfus:
“Être fidèle à la tradition, c’est être fidèle à la flamme et non à la cendre”
“To be faithful to tradition is to be faithful to the flame and not to the ashes”
Jaurès’ words were paraphrased by Mahler as
“Tradition ist die Weitergabe des Feuers und nicht die Anbetung der Asche.”
“Tradition is the handing down of the flame and not the worshipping of ashes”.
(Rav Lau talks about this combination of fidelity to the past and adapting to new circumstances in his biography, quoting his father in law about the dual meaning of Ya’azove. I posted it in a drasha for a Sheva Brachos.)